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[Naked Snake]

I own an original GBA and an SP, and I'm very tempted to buy either the SP2 or the Micro soon, image quality has always been the top priority with games for me, and I'm having difficulty deciding which of these two systems I'd prefer playing games on, and being unable to see/try either of them, I'm asking those who own or have seen/played both to help me in making the decision.

From what I gather,

Mirco:
+ Sharper/crisper LCD (due to being smaller)
+ New stylish design (owning two SPs seems redundant)

SP2:
+ LCD is brighter than Micro's maximum setting (?)
+ Colors are a little more vivid/vibrant than Micro (?)
+ Price is cheaper

I don't really consider the small size of the Micro's screen as a disadvantage, if it improves "image quality" then that's totally justified to me.

I live in the middle east, and selling/trading my old SP wouldn't be a smart decision as it wouldn't be worth much at all (IF I find someone willing to take it) so don't suggest that, I'd rather keep it for the rare multiplayer session once in a blue moon. And I own a DS.

I own about 12 or so GBA games, and a couple of GBC ones... Games I'm interested in buying include: Metroid Zero Mission, Super Mario Bros Classic, Super Mario Bros 3, and maybe the Final Fantasy games.

 

[Scrow]

keep in mind that the disadvantage of the micro is that it wont be able to play Game Boy and Game Boy Colour games, whereas SP+ can.

However one of the biggest pros of the micro for me is a built-in headphone jack and a smaller case design.

I also have an original GBA and GBASP as you do and I'm thinking of trading in my GBASP when I get a GBASP+ (for GB and GBC backlit goodness) and then I'll also get a micro once it drops in price.

 

[drohne]

the micro screen is really much smaller, though. i think you've accurately summarized the merits of each screen, but if the image is your main concern, the size difference matters. micro's real benefit is portability.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

I also have an original GBA and GBASP as you do and I'm thinking of trading in my GBASP when I get a GBASP+ and then I'll also get a micro once it drops in price.

and people wonder why nintendo keeps redisigning products and still make a ton of money. how many more GBA iterations are they gonna do???

 

[Gattsu25]

the Micro is too damn small for me...I'm going to be getting a new SP...seems like a good idea since my original SP broke (cracked screen...have no idea how it happened, either =\)

note: I still have 3 others, and two original GBAs

 

[Scrow]

and people wonder why nintendo keeps redisigning products and still make a ton of money. how many more GBA iterations are they gonna do???

yeah but I don't feel so bad because I skipped all the Game Boy iterations between the original GB and the GBA.

How many does that skip? GB Pocket and GBC? Virtual Boy too perhaps? :lol

Okay, so that's not a lot of iterations, but it was a large space of time between the first Game Boy to the next one i got.

As for how many more GBA iterations they'll do, I think it ends with the micro to be honest. Next on the agenda is a DS SP.

 

[Juice]

I think you forgot one important plus and minus.

Game Boy Micro:
+Is way cooler than any of us. People who shop at hot topic will graciously offer you oral pleasures just to bask in your renegade trendiness.

Game Boy Advance SP+:
-You already own it.

 

[Naked Snake]

keep in mind that the disadvantage of the micro is that it wont be able to play Game Boy and Game Boy Colour games, whereas SP+ can.

However one of the biggest pros of the micro for me is a built-in headphone jack and a smaller case design.

I also have an original GBA and GBASP as you do and I'm thinking of trading in my GBASP when I get a GBASP+ (for GB and GBC backlit goodness) and then I'll also get a micro once it drops in price.

I'm aware of the lack of GB & GBC support on Micro, it's not a big deal for me... The headphone jack is a considerable plus on the Micro though. I too would really like to wait for a Micro pricedrop, it seems like the smart thing to do, but who knows how long will that be?

 

[Naked Snake]

My original GBA is a useless brick that collects dust for 99% of the year, except on the few occasions when I go sun tanning I grab it along, because the screen looks great in direct sunlight, and it's not big deal if it got some tanning oil or sand on it or whatnot (better it get dirty than the more useful units).

 

[Scrow]

I too would really like to wait for a Micro pricedrop, it seems like the smart thing to do, but who knows how long will that be?

not long after the new year i reckon... maybe? Nintendo will have made their money from the Christmas period and will probably be eager to spur sales during the slump after Christmas with a price drop. That's my guess anyway.

 

[Xrenity]

Why buy a SP just for the brighter screen? It's not like you want to use it as a lightning beacon The current SP screen is fine, I guess.

Go for the Micro. It's small, it's good-looking and it's got an awesome screen.

 

[Scrow]

one question i've got about the micro and SP+ is does the backlit screen drain more from the battery or does it have the same drain as the original SP's frontlit screen?

 

[Naked Snake]

one question i've got about the micro and SP+ is does the backlit screen drain more from the battery or does it have the same drain as the original SP's frontlit screen?

I think it drains a bit more than regular SP, but battery life is still in the 10+ hour range I believe, so it's excellent IMO.

 

[tedtropy]

Why buy a SP just for the brighter screen? It's not like you want to use it as a lightning beacon The current SP screen is fine, I guess.

Go for the Micro. It's small, it's good-looking and it's got an awesome screen.

Believe me, once you see the SP2's screen, the one on the SP is not "fine" at all. In fact, it looks positively pathetic by comparison. It's not just about brightness, but the manner in which the screen is now backlit.

 

[tedtropy]

I don't really consider the small size of the Micro's screen as a disadvantage, if it improves "image quality" then that's totally justified to me.

That's like saying a 13" HDTV is better than a 30" one just because flaws in the image are less apparent. The GBA's screen was small enough to begin with. I'm not knocking the Micro - it's one sexy handheld, but I think it's more because of its overall size than the LCD.

 

[Mejilan]

I find the Micro screen to be greatly superior than the SP+, and the SP+ has a "redesigned" d-pad that makes certain games (such as SFA3 Upper) nigh unplayable. Unlike just about EVERY other Nintendo d-pad, it lacks the plastic spacer that rests in the dead center of the d-pad, preventing you from hitting two opposing directions (left+right, down+up) at once. It also makes hitting diagonals tougher, if you have broad thumbs.

Micro all the way, if GB/GBC support is irrelevent. The smaller screen lends GBA games a much crisper look, and having a screen with FIVE levels of brightness (versus the SP+'s 2 levels) is an excellent thing, since some games were visually designed with the GBA in mind, and others with the GBA SP, and some without the options customizing the look of the game to either screen. On the SP+, you might find some games look too washed out, as a consequence, whereas on the Micro, you'll be able to adjust the brightness to a more ideal level.

I own 3 GBAs, a GBA SP, a GBA SP+, and a GB Micro, and I haven't touched my SP+ since my new Micro arrived. I keep it only for GB/GBC support, at this point.

Edit - In regards to the d-pad issue, I've gone through 2 GBA SP+s before determining it was a hardware flaw, and not a defective unit. I also tested the 8 or so GBA SP+s on display at the Nintendo World store here in NYC, and all of them have the same problematic d-pad.

Edit 2 - Ted, your comparison is unfair. A 13" screen is less than half the size of a 30" screen, where as the difference between the GBA and GB Micro is but a fraction of that. I don't have the exact dimensions of either, but the GB Micro screen is not less than half the size of the GBA's.

 

[Naked Snake]

I find the Micro screen to be greatly superior than the SP+, and the SP+ has a "redesigned" d-pad that makes certain games (such as SFA3 Upper) nigh unplayable. Unlike just about EVERY other Nintendo d-pad, it lacks the plastic spacer that rests in the dead center of the d-pad, preventing you from hitting two opposing directions (left+right, down+up) at once. It also makes hitting diagonals tougher, if you have broad thumbs.

Damn, why the hell would they change it like that?

New SP -1

 

[Mejilan]

Damn, why the hell would they change it like that?

New SP -1

I have no clue. I know one or two people here on GAF got their DS' exchanged due to this defect. But unlike the occasional, rare bum defect, the SP+ seems to be built like this on purpose. I've handled 10 different SP+s, 2 of the Graphite color and 8 of the Pearl Blue color, and all 10 had the same exact, cruddy d-pad.

Edit - The Micro d-pad, however, is the best yet on a Nintendo handeld. It's more of an improvement over the DS than the DS was over the GBA/GBA SP, imho. It's both raised and floaty, and clicky at the same time. VERY comfortable and smooth.

 

[Naked Snake]

Guess I'll wait a few months for a potential pricedrop on Mirco, if it doesn't happen I'll probably just bend over and let Nintendo rape me up the wallet.

 

[Dilbert]

Ted, your comparison is unfair. A 13" screen is less than half the size of a 30" screen, where as the difference between the GBA and GB Micro is but a fraction of that. I don't have the exact dimensions of either, but the GB Micro screen is not less than half the size of the GBA's.

The point is valid. You're focusing on the exact numbers, which I assume were rhetorical, but ignoring everything else he said. Yes, there are several contributors to image quality and people have different preferences, but all other factors being equal, a smaller screen will appear "better" since it's harder to perceive flaws in the image.

With that being said, visibility is important, so there is a tradeoff between having a smaller, sharper image, and not being able to see it well or comfortably over a long period of time. (There is a similar tradeoff between size and usability for the controls, too.) I can understand why someone would consider the Micro's screen to be way too small. This picture from Endgadget might be a helpful illustration.

 

[tedtropy]

The point is valid. You're focusing on the exact numbers, which I assume were rhetorical, but ignoring everything else he said. Yes, there are several contributors to image quality and people have different preferences, but all other factors being equal, a smaller screen will appear "better" since it's harder to perceive flaws in the image.

With that being said, visibility is important, so there is a tradeoff between having a smaller, sharper image, and not being able to see it well or comfortably over a long period of time. (There is a similar tradeoff between size and usability for the controls, too.) I can understand why someone would consider the Micro's screen to be way too small. This picture from Endgadget might be a helpful illustration.

Pretty much. Obviously there was abit of hyperbole in my statement, but I think it's still applicable. When we're talking about a screen that was a three whopping inches to begin with, being an inch smaller is a pretty sizable difference. I just get tired of hearing the Micro's screen is better by virtue of it being smaller. That said, the Micro is still a great device and Nintendo will no doubt find some way of getting me to buy a fourth GBA...

 

[Mejilan]

Well, certainly. I wasn't suggesting that the new screen is higher resolution, of course. But a 30" -> 13" comparison is just as off-base, IMHO.

That said. Games that looked great on the GBA SP, still look great. And games that were more pixelized either due to Mode-7 effects (F-Zero) or otherwise (Golden Sun) look absolutely amazing.

I've tried out the Zelda, the Final Fantasies, and the Fire Emblems, just to get an idea how games with generally small font sizes look on the Micro, and they're still very readable.

It's just a fantastic screen, all around.

 

[tedtropy]

Well, certainly. I wasn't suggesting that the new screen is higher resolution, of course. But a 30" -> 13" comparison is just as off-base, IMHO.

That said. Games that looked great on the GBA SP, still look great. And games that were more pixelized either due to Mode-7 effects (F-Zero) or otherwise (Golden Sun) look absolutely amazing.

I've tried out the Zelda, the Final Fantasies, and the Fire Emblems, just to get an idea how games with generally small font sizes look on the Micro, and they're still very readable.

It's just a fantastic screen, all around.

Absolutely, it's an awesome screen, I just wish they could've found a way to implement a 3" in a similarly-sized device. So it goes. Personally I bought and love the SP2. I still wish it had a headphone port, but the adapter's no big deal. I haven't experienced the 'floating center' issue, but I'm not really a big fighting game fan. Hopefully somebody will throw up a mod-fix to this issue.

 

[Naked Snake]

I think getting a Mirco might motivate me into replaying many of my games for the second time, that would be great, getting more of my dollar's worth from them and having fun in the process.

jinx, thanks for the picture, the difference in size does seem pretty big, I just wish the image showed actual size.

 

[japtor]

from one of the other threads, not everyone is having the dpad issue with the new sp, so i dont know whats up with it. as for the micro dpad, rummy bunnz just got a famicom one and told me its like the saturn pad (which is awesome for those that dont know).

also, im not sure the engadget thing is accurate, there are many actual pictures with the sp and micro that serve better to show the size difference.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Micro has completely revived my interest in GBA games. It is the shit.

 

[cvxfreak]

Anyone brave enough to try playing the micro without a faceplate on? I had this wacked up idea of someone making a faceplate that's a magnifying class. :lol

 

[mosaic]

I just picked up two SP+ units. I know the d-pad is different, I can feel it, but it didn't hamper my play in games like Super Mario 3 or Street Fighter Alpha 3 at all. I can pull off dragon punches and hurricane kicks with reckless abandon. I dunno, maybe I'm a mutant or got lucky.

By God though, the new screen is STELLAR. Once you play a game like Super Mario 3 on it, you WON'T GO BACK. The default brightness is about 20% brighter than the old SP, I'd say. And when you kick on "full" brightness by tapping the "light" button... holy crap, the colors simply fly off the screen. The screen material itself also doesn't introduce that odd haze that the old screen did either. Hard to explain.

You ever play a GBA ROM on a computer? (You know you have) The new SP screen is that "pure."

 

[Ford Prefect]

I just picked up two SP+ units.

...why?

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

from one of the other threads, not everyone is having the dpad issue with the new sp, so i dont know whats up with it.

This is turning into an obsession with me, because I want an SP+ so bad, but the d-pad is just making games impossible to play. Now I'm thinking that since surely every SP+ has the same d-pad, there must be some reason why the degree of suckiness with the pad ranges from people not noticing it at all, to only noticing it with fighting games, to it making every game unplayable. I've noticed that I play games with my thumb placed in a position where it covers the whole d-pad, and I control the game by making small movements. I'm guessing if you play with your thumb only touching the outside of the cross (i.e you can stillsee most of the d-pad when you move left or right), instead of the center, you won't have any problems. But I don't think I can unlearn 15 years worth of game playing just for this unit.

As a side note, I've noticed Nintendo has replaced all their retail GBA interactives in my area with new Pearl Blue SP+ units. If any of you want to see how awesome the new screen is, check out your local retailer. The game in the demo is currently the new DK: King of Swing where you move by using the L &R buttons, so you can't really determine how good or bad the d-pad is.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

I've tried three SP+ demos. On each one if I held down, say, left, and without letting go then pushed right the left side would pop back up, so I'm assuming they had the spacer. Am I wrong? I figure when people are saying you can press in both directions at once it means they both go flat. The units I fooled around with didn't seem to behave any differently from my launch DS pad.

And yeah, I love the Micro's pad/buttons. Nice and floaty. I kept telling myself I wasn't going to buy one cuz of the price, plus I've bought enough damn Game Boys in my lifetime, but I'm a sucker. I caved and ordered one once I could afford it. I was somewhat worried I'd regret it for various reasons but right now I'm loving it enough that I've almost forgotten I paid so much money for something so damn stupid. It makes Guru Logic Champ even more fun!

 

[mosaic]

I just picked up two SP+ units.

...why?

One for myself, one for a Christmas gift. Dr. Mario / Puzzle League (Tetris Attack) is coming out, so I'm giving a pearl blue SP and that game as a gift to one lucky woman I know.